Local

A Lancaster man faces an identity theft charge following a traffic stop where he used a false name.
Lancaster police officers stopped a car at 2:19 a.m. March 18 after noticing it did not have working headlights. The driver did not have a license and said he left the house in a hurry to buy medicine at Walmart, according to an incident report. The man gave officers a name, driver’s license number, birth date and address and officers found no suspensions under that name, the report said.

If you’re among the millions of American tax-dawdlers out there who have waited until the last minute to file your federal income tax by the traditional April 15 deadline, calm down and take a deep breath – you are not alone.
In fact, an estimated 20 to 25 percent, more than 400,000, of South Carolina’s estimated 2 million taxpayers are in the same boat, having waited until this month to file, according to the IRS.
Another reason to relax a bit? This year, you get a three-day reprieve.

What’s the Carolina Thread Trail?
Those who attended one of three recent open houses in Lancaster County found out. The meetings – held April 4 at Andrew Jackson High School, April 5 at Lancaster County Library and April 11 at the Indian Land Recreation Center – gave local residents a chance to look at maps of the proposed project, hear a live presentation and ask questions before responding to survey questionnaires.

A Heath Springs man flagged down a deputy after being shot in the leg Tuesday morning.
While on patrol along Fork Hill Road in Kershaw at 9:48 a.m., a Lancaster County sheriff's deputy noticed a man waving his arms on the side of the road. The deputy turned his car around to speak with the 27-year-old Heath Springs resident, according to a sheriff's office incident report.

Lancaster police officers are searching for the man who stole an unknown amount of money from the Westgate Exxon convenience store, 1101 W. Meeting St., on April 9.

According to a Lancaster Police Department press release, the man entered the store at 11:18 a.m. The store clerk was away from the counter, cleaning, so the robber waited at the counter until the clerk returned, the release said.

A series of thunderstorms Saturday evening dropped golf ball-sized hail and larger in parts of Lancaster County and produced lightning that killed a family pet.

The storm came less than a week after another spring storm April 5 wreaked havoc on Lancaster County with heavy rains and wind damage.

News that Saturday’s storm was going to be a rough one came about 4:30 p.m. when the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm watch for several counties along the state line, including Lancaster County.

You’re invited to come show off your bike at an event that will raise money for several local charities.
United Way of Lancaster County is revving up for its first-ever Ride United Motorcycle Show, which will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30 at the Lancaster County Fairgrounds.
Proceeds will go toward its 2010-11 campaign goal of $400,000. About 88 percent has been raised so far.

For years, Rick Crimminger has guided the group that determines whether a resident is a legal voter in Lancaster County.
But this week, the tables were turned.
Crimminger, chairman of the Lancaster County Voter Registration and Election Commission, appeared at a formal hearing Tuesday afternoon in which the commission discussed his residency status.
It unanimously ruled that he “meets the legal requirements to be a qualified elector (voter) in Lancaster County.”